REFLECTIONS FROM OUR SUMMER INTERNS (PT2)
By Zoe Sun
While last summer seemed to pass by in slow motion, these past four months felt as though someone had pressed fast-forward the whole time! And yet, I have somehow collected a laundry list of personal learnings crammed into these few short and sweet months of interning at VERGE Capital.
But before I dive into my key takeaways, I first need to recognize the people who have contributed to my growth here, and who have made me feel so welcome despite having never met me in person. With that said, here is a big thank you to James Chan (the kindest and most thoughtful boss I’ve ever had, and who I owe this entire experience to), Sanchi Shah (my amazing partner who has saved me on more than one occasion), Rachel Berdan (the brave leader of our crazy cluster), the Social Innovation team (who showed up each week with honesty and intention, and no shortage of weekend stories), Maria Luisa Contursi (who always gave the best advice, and personally took the time to get to know myself and the other interns), and all the staff and volunteers at Pillar Nonprofit that I had the pleasure of working and laughing with. Needless to say that I’ve learned a lot over this summer, but I am leaving with something I didn’t expect to find - a new sense of clarity and surety in how I want to shape my career, which will no doubt involve social impact. But without further ado, here are some of my greatest learnings from the best summer internship that I could’ve asked for:
The social impact sector is much more connected than I had ever realized! Working in this field, there is a strong sense of true community. Everyone seems to know everyone, and there is a willingness for collaboration that I have never seen before in any of my past work experiences. It can often feel as though we are in our own small corner of the world, but even in these past four months, I’ve seen this corner grow incredibly as more people, ideas, and innovations join our community. Simply put, the future of social impact looks exciting (and busy) - and the people are ready for it!
There is always a place for honesty and transparency. Whether I make a mistake, feel overwhelmed with work, or am simply asked how I’m doing, I’ve found that owning up to my feelings and actions has only ever ended positively. It allows me to learn from my errors, reconfigure my workload to create balance in my life, and spark stronger authentic relationships with my co-workers; all of which are major wins in my book.
Social impact is highly (highly) nuanced, and oftentimes, the answer is that no single person has the answer! I can personally attest to doing endless hours of research just to find that there is no best-practice approach, let alone a universal solution. What this important (albeit time-consuming) process has taught me is that it is critical to ask for feedback wherever possible, and to clearly explain the reasoning behind my decisions so that they can be questioned as needed. In this journey of continuous self-improvement and learning, I must show up as someone who is open to being corrected. The Pillar team has taught me to be comfortable with saying, “I recognize that I am only one person with one point of view, and as a result, I cannot and should not speak for others. I acknowledge that I may be overlooking certain perspectives, but I am willing to listen, research, and learn.” As someone with a perfectionist nature who feels satisfaction from finding objective answers (does this explain my love for math?), tackling the complex and deeply intersectional issues in the world of social impact can often feel frustrating and disheartening. However, in all of my calls for feedback, I have only ever been met with patience, empathy, and support, which has made my learning experience here at Pillar all the more significant.
Finally, while I am grateful for virtual work as it has made this job possible for me, I now know that I must never take for granted the joys of working in person! And along with this, I know that I am a happier (and better) employee when I am passionate about the work I do, and when I am energized by the people doing it with me. It is a privilege to want to go into the office! Needless to say, I am looking forward to visiting the team at Innovation Works once I return to London for school :)
This is a short list of the many things I discovered about my personal and professional self while working at VERGE, but these learnings were particularly impactful in my life. I am endlessly grateful for the growth opportunities that VERGE and Pillar Nonprofit have given me, and I envy anyone who gets to join the team in the future - you are in the right place!
Zoe is returning to Ivey Business School as a 4th year Honours Business Administration student. Connect with her on LinkedIn!
